System and Method for Multiple Accounts to Access Internet Message Access Protocol Server

Abstract

A method and system for multiple accounts accessing an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server are provided by the present document. The method includes: an IMAP client establishing a single IMAP link between the IMAP client and the IMAP server for multiple accounts of one user; and when logging in the IMAP server, the IMAP client sending a login request to the IMAP server based on the IMAP link, and the IMAP server completing verification of the multiple accounts after receiving the login request. In the present invention, it can be implemented that the user uses the multiple accounts (i.e. mail boxes) to access the IMAP server simultaneously, thereby improving the user experience.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for multiple accounts accessing an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, comprising:
 an IMAP client establishing a single IMAP link between the IMAP client and the IMAP server for multiple accounts of one user; and   when logging in the IMAP server, the IMAP client sending a login request to the IMAP server based on the IMAP link, and the IMAP server completing verification of the multiple accounts after receiving the login request.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the IMAP client logs in the IMAP server, establishing association information containing account information of the associated multiple accounts belonging to one user; and the multiple accounts contained in the association information forming an association group;   the step of sending a login request to the IMAP server based on the IMAP link comprising: the IMAP client sending the login request to the IMAP server by using a logged-in account in the association group so as to perform login, and the login request carrying account information of the logged-in account;   the step of the IMAP server completing verification of the multiple accounts after receiving the login request comprising: after completing verification of the logged-in account, the IMAP server searching for association information according to the logged-in account, and completing verifications of other associated accounts besides the logged-in account; wherein,   the logged-in account is any account in the association group or one specific account in the association group.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 the login request sent by the IMAP client to the IMAP server carries the account information of the multiple accounts;   the step of the IMAP server completing verification of the multiple accounts after receiving the login request comprises: the IMAP server performing verification on the multiple accounts.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2  or  3 , further comprising:
 after using the multiple accounts to log in the IMAP server, when needing to perform operation on one account in the multiple accounts, the IMAP client sending an account selection command to the IMAP server, and carrying account information of an account on which an operation is required to be performed in the account selection command; and 
 the IMAP server returning an account selection response after receiving the account selection command, and the IMAP client performing operation on a selected account according to the account selection response. 
 
     
     
         5 . A method for multiple accounts accessing an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, comprising:
 establishing a single IMAP link for each of the multiple accounts between IMAP Client and the IMAP server respectively; and each account corresponding to one IMAP link;   when logging in the IMAP server, an IMAP client sending a login request to the IMAP server via each of the multiple IMAP links corresponding to the multiple accounts simultaneously, and the login request in each IMAP link carrying account information; and   the IMAP server receiving the login requests from the multiple links, and completing verification of the multiple accounts.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 before the IMAP client logs in the IMAP server, setting an association table for the user, the association table recording a corresponding relation between the user and the multiple accounts, and setting a login password for the multiple accounts;   when sending the login requests to the IMAP server in the multiple IMAP links, the IMAP client inputting the login password once, and the input login password being sent to the IMAP server along with the account information sent via each IMAP link.   
     
     
         7 . A system for multiple accounts accessing an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, comprising an IMAP client and the IMAP server; wherein,
 the IMAP client is configured to: establish a single IMAP link for multiple accounts of one user along with the IMAP server; and send a login request to the IMAP server based on the established single IMAP link;   the IMAP server is configured to complete verification of the multiple accounts after receiving the login request.   
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , further comprising: a setting module, the setting module being configured to establish association information containing account information of the associated multiple accounts belonging to the user; and the multiple accounts contained in the association information forming an association group;
 the IMAP client being configured to send the login request to the IMAP server in a following way: sending the login request to the IMAP server by using a logged-in account in the association group, and the login request carrying account information of the logged-in account;   the IMAP server being configured to complete the verification of the multiple accounts in a following way: completing verification of the logged-in account according to account information in the login request, and searching for association information according to the account information of the logged-in account, and completing verifications of other associated accounts besides the logged-in account; wherein   the logged-in account is any account in the association group or one specific account in the association group.   
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein,
 the login request sent by the IMAP client to the IMAP server carries account information of the multiple accounts;   the IMAP server is configured to complete the verification of the multiple accounts in a following way: performing verification on the multiple accounts after receiving the login request.   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein,
 the IMAP client is further configured to send an account selection command to the IMAP server when performing operation on one account after using the multiple accounts to log in the IMAP server, and to carry account information of an account on which an operation is required to be performed in the account selection command, and perform operation on a selected account after receiving an account selection response;   the IMAP server is further configured to return the account selection response after receiving the account selection command.   
     
     
         11 . A system for multiple accounts accessing an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, comprising an IMAP client and the IMAP server; wherein,
 the IMAP client is configured to establish a single IMAP link for each of multiple accounts of one user along with the IMAP server, and each account corresponds to one IMAP link;   the IMAP client is further configured to send a login request to the IMAP server via each of the multiple IMAP links simultaneously when logging in the IMAP server, and the login request in each IMAP link carries account information;   the IMAP server is configured to receive the login requests from the multiple IMAP links, and complete verification of the multiple accounts.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , further comprising: a setting module, the setting module being configured to: set an association table for the user, wherein the association table records a corresponding relation between the user and the multiple accounts, and the setting module being configured to: set a login password for the multiple accounts in the association table;
 the IMAP client being configured to input the login password once when sending the login requests to the IMAP server, wherein the login password is sent to the IMAP server along with the account information sent via each IMAP link.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 after using the multiple accounts to log in the IMAP server, when needing to perform operation on one account in the multiple accounts, the IMAP client sending an account selection command to the IMAP server, and carrying account information of an account on which an operation is required to be performed in the account selection command; and   the IMAP server returning an account selection response after receiving the account selection command, and the IMAP client performing operation on a selected account according to the account selection response.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein,
 the IMAP client is further configured to send an account selection command to the IMAP server when performing operation on one account after using the multiple accounts to log in the IMAP server, and to carry account information of an account on which an operation is required to be performed in the account selection command, and perform operation on a selected account after receiving an account selection response;   the IMAP server is further configured to return the account selection response after receiving the account selection command.